What is a Doula? 

Doula (doo’-luh) is a Greek word meaning 'servant'.  It was adopted by the labor support profession, and today the word is used to refer to a trained person (usually a woman) who provides physical, emotional, and informational support to women and families before, during and after childbirth.

A birth doula assists the pregnant woman and her family during pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum. She stays with the laboring mother throughout the entire birth process, providing emotional, physical, and informational support. She helps her clients get the information they need to make informed decisions.

The birth doula recognizes childbirth as a normal, physiological process as well as a transformative life experience. Her primary purpose is to nurture and protect a woman’s memory of her birth experience.

Doulas are a recognized professional group and may be certified by various doula organizations, but are not currently a licensed or regulated profession at the State level.

Traditional doula training includes two components: 

1)  Basic information about pregnancy and birth.  Topics include:

• anatomy and physiology of female reproduction

• medical terminology as it relates to maternity care

• fetal development

• prenatal care

• pain management techniques

• the emotions of pregnancy

• normal labor, birth, postpartum, and breastfeeding

• normal procedures used in labor and birth

• labor  and birth variations and complications

2)  The role of the doula and how to support a woman and her family during pregnancy, labor and birth, and immediately postpartum.  Topics include:

• the significance of birth in women's lives

• the doula's role, scope of practice, professional ethics, and standards of practice

• clarifying values and beliefs about birth

• communication skills

• prenatal visits

• providing emotional support, including culturally-sensitive support

• comfort measures

• Cesarean birth and VBAC

• coping with complications in pregnancy and labor

• newborn care

• immediate postpartum support

• breastfeeding support

The Birth Doula Training provides the addition of:

• story-telling

• movement

• art

• ceremony

and infuses the sacredness of babies, women, and birth into every topic.